Method of preparing confectionery



July-27, 1937. A. w. P'A'roN METHOD OF PREPARING CONFECTlONERY Fled"MarCh l0, 1936 fx W94 ro/v Patented July 27, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENTY OFFICE Alex W. Paton, South Orange, N. J., assigner to Brewster-Ideal Chocolate Company, Newark,

N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 10, 1936, Serial No. 68,130

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for preparing confectionery such as nonpareils, chocolate drops, buds, stars, kisses or wafers.

More particularly, the invention pertains to a method and apparatus of depositing such confections in spaced relation of a string, thread or other lamentary structure.

A still further object of the invention is to automatically and continuously deposit the said confectionery on a string in such a manner that the string becomes an integral part of the confectionary, after which the string may be severed into desired lengths and these lengths sold as a unit.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. l is a top plane view of an apparatus for carrying out the above described method.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine partly in cross section.

Fig. 3 is a'vertical cross section of the confectionery showing its attachment to the string or thread.

More specifically in the drawing, and by way of illustration, there is shown a continuous metal belt I supported around horizontal cylindrical pulleys 2 and 3, mounted on axles 4 and 5 which are carried on floor brackets 6 and l. The top flight or surface of the continuous belt I is also supported intermediate of the pulleys 2 and 3 on a platform 8 that is mounted between Vertically extending spaced side frames 9. The belt is further supported on the bottom of a cooling tunnel I0 which will be hereinafter described in detail.

The vertical extending side frames `9 project upwardly beyond the top flight of the belt I and between the upperextre'mities of the frames a trough-like hopper II is mounted.

As shown in Fig. 2, the hopper II is provided with a long depending nozzle I2 having a plurality of spaced apart openings I3 therein, which arein registry with openings I4 formed in horizontal rotary valve shaft I5. The ends of the rotary shaftV I5` are carried in suitable bearings formed in the ends of the trough II while one end of the medium VVtherethrough is secured in the roof ofV the cooling tunnel.

On vertical side frames ZI, mounted adjacent to belt pulley 2 and laterally extending from the rear of the side frames, is a bracket or platform 22 on which is carried a plurality of spindles 23. The vertical side frames 2I are also held together at their upper ends by transverse rod 2t. Extending oppositely from the side frames 2I and parallel to the belt I are arms 24 transversely ,joined together at their outer ends by rod 25.

Spools or cones 2l of thread, string or the like, are mounted on the spindles 23 with the free ends of the thread or string carried over upper tie rod 26 and down under lower rod 25 in such a manner that the string lies in parallel spaced apart relation on the upper surface of belt l. The rotary valve I4 in the bottom of the hopper is driven by any suitable means such as an electric motor 28 and belt 28 while the belt I is driven by electric motor 29 and drive belt 3G, engaging drive pulley 3l carried on an extension of pulley shaft 5.

In operation, the hopper II is loaded with molten chocolate or any other substantially freely flowing confectionery and rotation of the valve i5 will alternately open and close the openings ifi so that the material in the hopper is deposited in drops or gobs on the belt I, the speed of the belt being so regulated that the chocolate drops, wafers or other forms, of confectionery are deposited in spaced relation on the belt.

It will also be observed that the plurality of Vstrings or threads 2l being carried on the belt I are fed directly under the valve openings I3 so that the gobs of confectionery 32 are deposited in spaced relation on said strings. tinues its movement, it carries the molten or semiplastic confectionery 32, together with the string on which it has been deposited, through the cooling tunnel Ill where the confectionery is cooled and solidies on the strings. the cooling tunnel and at the end of the belt, the strings carrying the solidified confectionery are cut off into convenient lengths.

What I claim is:- L

l. The method of producing candy confections in sales units which includes dropping the'individualcandies in spaced apart relation and while As the belt con- Upon emerging from i in a semi-plastic state onto a non-edible iila- Y mentary member.

2. V'I'he method of manufacturing candies which includes dropping spaced apart transverse rows of individual gobs of candy onto a plurality of spaced apart strings moving in a longitudinal plane, cooling said gobs while in motion and thereafter severing the strings into sales unit lengths.

ALEX W. PATON. 

